Murder trial of Aaron Hernandez begins with jury selection FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) — The murder trial of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez began Friday with the judge telling the first batch of prospective jurors that they could still be chosen to sit on the panel even if they had heard about the high-profile case. Hundreds of jurors were expected to file through the halls of the Fall River Justice Center on the first day of the selection process. Hernandez, 25, is charged with killing...

Lawyer: Dad accused of tossing girl off bridge acted strangeST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The man accused of throwing his 5-year-old daughter off a bridge early Thursday had been acting strangely hours before, calling his attorney "God" and asking her to translate a Bible in Swedish, according to sheriff's documents. Attorney Genevieve Torres said she met with John Jonchuck on Wednesday to discuss the custody case for his 5-year-old daughter, Phoebe, who was found dead in Tampa Bay after police said he t...

Brutal cold to blast eastern half of U.S., challenge records in MidwestIn a weather pattern common for January, waves of arctic air will flow from the Midwest to the Northeast and South into the coming weekend. The waves of arctic air coming in this week will be painful for those who have to spend time outdoors, unless properly dressed. In addition to the below-average temperatures forecast, AccuWeather.com RealFeel® Temperatures will be 15-30 degrees lower than the actual temperature at times. RealFeel Temperatu...

Huckabee leaving Fox News show ahead of decision WASHINGTON (AP) — TV host and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee says he is leaving his Fox News talk show as he considers whether to seek the Republican nomination for president, a decision he expects to reach in the spring. Huckabee told the network that Saturday night's edition of "Huckabee" would be his last as he ponders his political future, Fox News reported. The weekly show, which is taped with a live audience and features political co...

Little Jimmy Dickens, oldest Opry member, dies at 94 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Little Jimmy Dickens, a diminutive singer-songwriter known for his sense of humor and as the oldest cast member of the Grand Ole Opry, has died. He was 94. Dickens died Friday at a Nashville-area hospital of cardiac arrest after suffering a stroke on Christmas Day, Opry spokeswoman Jessie Schmidt said. Dickens, who stood 4-foot-11, had performed on the Opry almost continuously since 1948. His last performance was Dec. 2...

2-year-old accidentally kills his mom in Wal-Mart HAYDEN, Idaho (AP) — A 2-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his mother after he reached into her purse at a northern Idaho Wal-Mart and her concealed gun fired, authorities said Tuesday. The 29-year-old woman was shopping with her son and three other children, Kootenai County sheriff's spokesman Stu Miller told The Associated Press. Her family had come to the area to visit relatives, he said. The woman, whose identity was not released, ...

NYC officer mourned at funeral as tensions linger NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of police officers from across the nation packed a church and spilled onto streets Saturday to honor Officer Rafael Ramos as a devoted family man, aspiring chaplain and hero, though an air of unrest surrounding his ambush shooting was not completely pushed aside. While mourners inside the church applauded politely as Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke, hundreds of officers outside turned their backs on him in a show of disres...

Bodies of woman, 3 grandsons found in burned home CINCINNATI (AP) — Three boys who spent the night with their grandmother so she wouldn't be alone on Christmas died with her Friday morning as a fire engulfed her home, authorities said. Fayette County coroner Dr. Dennis Mesker said the badly burned bodies were turned over to the Montgomery County coroner's office for autopsies and confirmation. They were tentatively identified as 60-year-old Terry Harris and three brothers: 14-year-old Kenyon,...

4 dead in fiery Northern California car crash FAIR OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Two vehicles collided head-on in a fiery crash near Sacramento, California, leaving four people dead and two more seriously injured. The Sacramento Bee reported the crash happened about 1:30 a.m. Friday in Fair Oaks, which is northeast of Sacramento on the north bank of the American River. CHP officials say 26-year-old David Mazur was driving his 2003 Subaru Outback north on San Juan Avenue when a 1992 Buick LeSabre dr...

Officers help deliver baby on train on Christmas PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The transit police officers who helped deliver a Christmas baby on a subway train reunited with the newborn boy and his parents Friday morning, trading the chaos of the dingy rail car where they first met for the comfort of a hospital room. Sgt. Daniel Caban and Officer Darrell James — who joined the delivery-in-progress shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday — came bearing souvenir gifts, including a Southeastern Pennsylvania Tran...

Capacity crowds pack screenings of 'The Interview'Critics and early viewers agree that "The Interview" is less than a masterpiece. But thanks to threats from hackers that nearly derailed its release, it has become an event. Hundreds of theaters Thursday, from The Edge 8 in Greenville, Alabama, to Michael Moore's Bijou by the Bay in Traverse City, Michigan, made special holiday arrangements for the Seth Rogen-James Franco comedy depicting the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. S...

Officer kills armed 18-year-old in suburb near Ferguson BERKELEY, Mo. (AP) — The mayor of the St. Louis suburb of Berkeley urged calm Wednesday after a white police officer killed a black 18-year-old who police said pointed a gun at him, reigniting tensions that have lingered since the death of Michael Brown in neighboring Ferguson. A crowd of about 300 people gathered at the gas station where Antonio Martin was shot late Tuesday, throwing rocks and bricks in a scene reminiscent of the sometimes-vi...

Storm threatens Christmas Eve travel delays from NYC to Chicago, AtlantaAccuWeather reports a storm bringing heavy rain, fog, thunderstorms, a swath of snow and travel delays will converge on the Northeast, Midwest and South leading up to Christmas. The early stages of travel problems for both the roads and at airports due to patchy rain, fog and spotty ice and snow will continue over much of the eastern two-thirds of the nation on Tuesday. The storm will impact the major airport hubs of New York City, Chicago and...

AP sources: Cops' killer angry over Garner death NEW YORK (AP) — A gunman who announced online that he was planning to shoot two "pigs" in retaliation for the chokehold death of Eric Garner ambushed two police officers in a patrol car and shot them to death in broad daylight Saturday before running to a subway station and killing himself, authorities said. The suspect, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, wrote on an Instagram account: "I'm putting wings on pigs today. They take 1 of ours, let's take 2 of the...

White Christmas forecast: Best odds for interior Northeast, Midwest and RockiesAccuWeather reports upon the millions of Christmas cards that hit store shelves each holiday season, many are strewn with images of a homey dwelling tucked under puffy mounds of white snow. While many dream of a similar white Christmas setting to fall during the winter celebrations, conditions do not always align to bring the picture-perfect snowy scene. This year's conditions bring the highest chance of a white Christmas for those across the ...

Sony cancels 'The Interview' Dec. 25 release NEW YORK (AP) — Under the threat of terrorist attacks from hackers and with the nation's largest multiplex chains pulling the film from its screens, Sony Pictures Entertainment took the unprecedented step of canceling the Dec. 25 release of the "The Interview." The cancellation, announced Wednesday, was a startling blow to the Hollywood studio that has been shaken by hacker leaks and intimidations over the last several weeks by an anonymous gr...

Congress sends Obama $1.1 trillion spending billA $1.1 trillion spending bill is on its way to President Barack Obama for his signature. The Senate voted 56-40 on Saturday for the long-term funding bill, the main item left on Congress' year-end agenda. The measure provides money for nearly the entire government through the Sept. 30 end of the current budget year. The sole exception is the Department of Homeland Security, which is funded only until Feb. 27. Republicans intend to try then to ...

School bus crash: 'Everyone just started crying'A student aboard one of two Tennessee school buses that crashed, killing two children and an adult, said she feared for her life as passengers were thrown from their seats and she tried to comfort fellow children who were scared, confused and hurt. "Everyone just started crying, so I went over there hugging Lexi, my friend," fifth-grader Joy Reinmann told WBIR-TV (http://on.wbir.com/15ONCdA). "Her nose was bleeding and her lip, and oh my gosh,...

Regulators investigating child car seat recallThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday that it is investigating whether Graco took too long to report a safety defect in its child car seats. Graco Children's Products, a division of Atlanta-based Newell Rubbermaid Inc., recalled 6.1 million car seats this year because the buckles could get stuck. That could put a child's life at risk in an emergency. It is the largest child seat recall in U.S. history. Federal rules re...